Conservation at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Preserving a Rare Pamphlet

The Address on African Slave Trade in Houston, TX is a rare 1859 pamphlet documenting a speech given by Peter Gray, an attorney, judge, and legislator in early Texas. The item arrived in the conservation lab whip-stitched into an aging pamphlet binder. The pamphlet’s leaves were silked, a previous preservation treatment that has now proved problematic. Partly as a result of the silking, many of the acidic paper leaves were torn and detached, putting them at risk for further damage and loss during use. The acidic pamphlet binder was also causing the leaves to become more brown and brittle over time.

Before treatment: silked, acidic, broken leaves.

Critical details about the pamphlet’s structure were documented during disbinding. The pamphlet’s leaves were folded into two sections, but typical, pamphlet-style sewing was not observed. Instead, the item appeared to have been side-sewn several times in the past. This restrictive sewing method is not viable for fragile, brittle paper.

During treatment: mending tears

Two treatment options were considered. One approach was to re-create a modified pamphlet: rebuild broken folds, punch new sewing holes, and sew with a pamphlet stitch. Another option was to enclose each leaf in a Mylar sleeve and bind the sleeves with stiff posts. We chose the first, more conservative option, which preserves more of the item’s original structure. After treatment, we judged that the paper would be sufficiently strong to tolerate gentle flexing and anticipated use.

After treatment: pamphlet is sewn into a paper case typical of its period.

Leaves were washed, deacidified, desilked, and resized with gelatin. Then, the paper was mended, losses were filled, and the pamphlet was rebuilt as described above. Replacing the whip-stitching with typical pamphlet sewing allows an unrestricted opening that will minimize future damage. The completed pamphlet was sewn into a paper case and housed in an acid-free pamphlet binder for safe storage.